


i'll explain the infinite

by daniclayton



Category: The Haunting of Bly Manor (TV)
Genre: (i guess???), Enemies to Lovers, F/F, Highschool AU, I'm so emotional after ep 9, Stars, but set in England, dani and jamie are both literature nerds, dw no danis will be harmed in the making of this, fight me
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-20
Updated: 2020-10-20
Packaged: 2021-03-08 20:01:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,836
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27112303
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/daniclayton/pseuds/daniclayton
Summary: A Dani and Jamie Highschool AU with the happy ending we deserve.
Relationships: Dani Clayton/Jamie
Comments: 44
Kudos: 250





	i'll explain the infinite

**Author's Note:**

> help it's 1:30 am and i didn't know what last name to give Jamie

i’ll explain the infinite

i.

_‘’back when we were still changing for the better,_

_wanting was enough.”_

_~_

_august, Taylor Swift_

To say that this was the worst thing to ever happen to her would be a bit of an over exaggeration. After all, there had been that incident with her mother’s new houseplant, the fried eggs, and Owen’s £200 shoe. However, this was a pretty close call.

It’s not that Dani Clayton hated Jamie Gardener exactly, rather it’s just that they were not compatible. In any sense of the word. 

Jamie was all ripped tights and denim jackets, red lipstick, glares and messy brown hair, attitude and sleepless nights. Dani was all perfectly tied back hair, bubblegum and sweet smiles, tinkling laughter and friendship and early morning runs. Jamie liked being alone. Dani never felt more alive than when in the centre of a crowd. Jamie was sharp edges. Dani was soft curves. Jamie was quiet where Dani was loud. Biting where she was gentle. 

Not to mention Jamie had a _tongue piercing_ (which was quite possibly the most damning thing about her.)

Jamie was, as Dani would say, ‘everything to be avoided’

As fate would have it, that's the exact opposite of what happened.

And so, whether by the stars’ grand plan, or just the complete lunacy of Miss Elliot’s method of pairing students up, they were stuck together, for the second year English Lit project. 

“Oh, fuck me.” Dani muttered as the chair to her left was scraped back and the heavy thud of what was probably Jamie’s books hitting the table resounded in the classroom.

“I’ll be glad to, darling. Let’s just maybe go somewhere a little more private first, yeah?”

“Of course you’re the type of person to use _darling_ unironically.” Dani rolled her eyes.

“It’s a term of endearment.”

“I don’t feel particularly endeared.”

“Not my problem.” Jamie smiled, leaning back in her seat, right arm stretched across the back of her chair.

“It is when I’m your partner for the next three months.” Dani turned in her seat, finally catching Jamie’s icy gaze. Her eyes were so strikingly blue that Dani became almost transfixed, only looking away when Jamie smirked - the red of her lipstick stretching wide. 

“So you’re like that, huh? Don’t worry, babe, I’ll make sure you feel plenty endeared.” 

Jamie winked. She actually, in real life, _winked_.

Dani couldn’t help the flush that rose to her cheeks. She couldn’t look away either. All of Jamie’s attention was on her, and she felt giddy with the rush of exhilaration it sent through her.

“Idiot.”

“Fancy word.”

Dani scowled, angling her body away, and returning her eyes to the board. She’d be damned if she let a pretty face and a too confident ego distract her.

“So, darling.” Jamie drawled, “How do you want to do this?”

“With as little interaction between us as possible.”

Her eyes remained fixated on the board, where Miss Elliot was outlining the project, and what it would consist of. Dani wasn’t all together dreading this assignment; Lit was one of her better subjects, grade wise, and she always found the books they studied interesting, if a little pretentious. It was mainly just the company she was weary of. Miss Elliot was in an increasingly heated rant over the importance of critic quotes, and the perils of single word analysis, when Jamie next spoke.

“Well, that ain’t possible, so…”

“Fine! We’ll meet up at the library some days.”

The teacher had shifted her ramblings to the subject of tragic aspects, and the importance of relating them to the texts.

“Suppose it could be said that it’s fate we’re partnered up, Gardener.”

“Well I sure hope not, our story ain’t gonna be a tragedy, _Clayton_.”

“Oh yeah?”

“Yeah.”

It was the resolute tone to Jamie’s voice that had Dani glancing over, but all she was met with was the sight of curly, shoulder length hair, as Jamie was firmly fixated on whatever Miss Elliot was now droning on about. Purple nails scratched at the table.

“So we’ll meet every Wednesday in the library - you have a free second period, right?” And following Dani’s narrowing of eyes, she added. “Chill, I’m not stalking you, I’ve just seen you messing around with Rebecca and that lot a few times.”

“Yeah, yeah… whatever, that’s cool.” Dani shifted. “We’ll talk more about it then, I actually want to hear what Elliot’s got to say.”

“What, Elliot’s shitty poetics more interesting than me?”

“Elliot’s shitty poetics are more interesting than _anything_.” 

And that was how the story of Dani Clayton and Jamie Gardener began.

By lunchtime, Dani was exhausted. English had dragged on and on, to the point where she wasn’t sure if Miss Elliot was still talking about their A level specification, or a particularly vivid dream she’d had last night. 

She’d tried to talk to Jamie again, but the girl had merely held a finger to her lips, narrowed her eyes, and whispered:

“I’m concentrating!”

So much for being endearing.

By the time she managed to collapse onto the table occupied by her assorted friends, Dani’s eyes were practically glued shut. She hadn’t been sleeping well lately, and all she wanted was an hour long nap - perhaps one of those fruit pots the cafeteria sold as well. She was not, however, in the mood for one of the Peter’s infamous pranks.

Edmund, a fairly nice bloke Dani thought absently, a first year who often sat with them, was the target for this particular prank.

One moment all was calm (well as calm as it could be on a table of seventeen and eighteen year olds).

The next all was not calm.

In fact, to put it quite simply, all hell broke loose.

Poor, unsuspecting Edmund opened his coke can, and out spurted the drink, coating everyone bar Rebecca, who Peter was very kindly shielding with a strategically placed umbrella.

A shriek was heard, which Dani suspected the blame laid with Hannah. She was also vaguely aware of Owen falling off the bench, but honestly, with the frequency of which this particular event transpired, she wasn’t all too sure if that calamity could be blamed entirely on the exploding coke.

It therefore happened, that because Dani was slumped over the table, to the right of Edmund, that the majority of the coke had ended up in her long blonde hair, which instantly became sticky and weighted, and dripped down her back to stain her (white!) jumper.

This was how, on a cold Tuesday afternoon, Dani came to be in the girls’ toilets, officially late for Psychology. 

Jamie, at this time, was supposed to be in History, but over lunch had drunk too much coffee, and so desperately needed the toilet.

This is how Jamie also came to be in the girls’ toilets, behind B Block, and how she found Dani furiously scrubbing at her top, taking all the anger she had not inflicted upon those idiotic boys out on the coke stained fabric. 

Confusion was etched on Jamie’s face, making her eyebrows bush together and giving her the overall look of a puppy who had just had a door shut on its face. 

“Uh, do I ask?”

“I was unfortunate enough to be sitting next to the victim of one of the Peter’s pranks.” Dani supplied with a grimace.

“Ah.”

“Yeah…”

“I never really understood why he’s so obsessed with pranks.” Jamie wandered towards her, coming to rest at the sink to her right.

“It’s kind of better not to ask when it comes to him.”

“Fair point.”

“What are you doing here?”

“I was, uh - I needed the toilet.”

“Oh, yeah, right. Why else would you be in the bathroom?”

“Well, you know, I could be scrubbing a - “ she leaned forwards to glance at the top still clutched in Dani’s hands, “ - a questionable stain out of me jumper.”

Dani couldn’t help the slight smile pushing at her lips.

“Well, that would be a _very_ big coincidence, wouldn’t it?”

“I suppose you’re right,” She paused, turning to catch Dani’s eyes in the mirror, before adding “Darling.”

They didn’t say anything else to each other, and Jamie eventually came back to the sinks to wash her hands, before turning to leave, shooting a quick smile Dani’s way in the mirror. She seemed to think better of it, as just as her hands brushed the door handle, she turned, catching Dani’s eyes in the mirror once more, and taking a breath as if to speak. But just before the words were said, she abruptly stopped herself, worried her bottom lip a little and broke eye contact. Dani missed the eye contact as soon as it was gone, but told herself that was a silly thing to think, and so turned around to reach for more soap. By the time she looked back Jamie was gone.

When Dani got home that night, to the big, empty house that had never really felt like a home to her, even though it had been three years since they’d moved from America, she was greeted by an empty parking space outside her house, and a note from her parents telling her they had left to do business in London, and to not expect them home for a few weeks. 

Sighing, she headed for the freezer, grabbed the tub of ice cream that seemed to have her name on it, and promptly collapsed on the sofa. She flicked through netflix, indecisive as ever, and settled on rewatching Doctor Who. 

This was how she passed the entire evening, with ice cream and tv, and decisively ignoring the homework sitting in her bag.

Her little tabby cat, named Flora, jumped up to join her, and settled over her legs.

As the evening drifted on, and night encompassed the world, Dani spiraled deep into thought. She thought about her idiot friends, and how she loved them despite their ability to make her want to pull her hair out.

And as the night wavered on, she couldn’t help but think of Jamie. She tried to stop, but it was as if a force outside her control was pushing her thoughts towards the girl. As if Jamie was a flame and Dani a mere moth.

She thought of Jamie’s smile - the genuine quirk of lips that had settled the unrest within her. The purple nails. The hair. The deep blue of her eyes. The way she had been kind, without spite, in the bathroom, where most would have just laughed at Dani. The way that Jamie was not as mean as Dani had expected - she was without the rough edges. 

She drifted off with thoughts of a pretty brunette with warm eyes, and with the fur of a cat between her fingers.

It was Wednesday, five minutes into second period, and Dani was crouched in a corner of the library, behind a potted plant. 

If you asked her _why_ she just happened to be behind this potted plant, Dani would not be able to give you a solid answer. She’d arrived five minutes before their allotted study session, and was planning on waiting for Jamie at one of the group study desks, but at the last moment had lost her nerve, and so stood up to leave, already planning the text she would send Jamie, apologising. 

So, of course, that was the moment that Jamie had walked through the doors. 

Dani, caught in the process of leaving, had ducked behind the nearest thing she could find, hence the potted plant. 

Jamie hadn’t seen her, and headed over to one of the desks and pulled a book out of her bag, throwing her legs up onto the table, much to the displeasure of the librarian. Dani didn’t know what to do, but she knew she couldn’t stay behind the potted plant for the rest of the period - she was already starting to attract some weird glances. 

Seeing no other option, she shimmied away from behind the plant and rolled beneath the nearest desk. She then proceeded to crawl beneath the connected desks, managing to get tangled in several pairs of legs in the process until the doors were in sight. She hesitated. She knew there was no way that if she stood up Jamie wouldn’t see her. So really, that left only one option: to roll.

Dani had never been the most athletic person, but she was drastically reminded of this fact when she attempted a forward roll out of the library. Limbs flailed; a squeak was heard; and Dani ended up in a sitting position, feeling slightly dazed. 

With all the confidence she could muster, Dani stood, straightened her skirt, and walked into the library. 

That confidence, however, was ripped away the second she sat next to Jamie, and the girl said, without removing her eyes from the book:

“I was wondering when you were going to come out from behind that plant.” 

Dani froze, and heat blossomed on her cheeks. 

“Uh, what - what can I say? I love plants?” it came out as more of a question than a statement, but Dani was already embarrassed enough - a little stumble in speech could hardly make it any worse. 

“Mmm hmm.” There was a slight purse to Jamie’s lips as she nodded, showing that she did not believe Dani in the slightest. Dani sighed, rolling her eyes, and shoving Jamie’s feet off the desk.

“What’re you reading?”

“To The Lighthouse.”

“It any good?”

“Yeah, it’s alright I guess.”

“You guess?”

“It’s actually one of my favourites.”

Dani wished she could ask her why, wished she could hear all of Jamie’s intricate thoughts on the book, wished she could ask and Jamie would answer. But she was reminded, and tried her hardest to ignore the sinking feeling in her stomach, that they were not friends. And probably never would be. And that was the type of thing you only do with a friend. You don’t tell random girls in your English Lit class all about your favourite book. Or maybe you did. Dani had honestly never been too good at knowing things like that.

“So should we start or what?” she asked, eyes downcast.

“Yeah, sure. Do you have, like, any ideas?”

“Honestly? No.”

“Well, it’s a presentation right? So in theory all we really need to do is create a decent powerpoint, and then we can just, like, wing it?”

“Yeah, sounds good. Also, I don’t know about you, but I haven’t read the book since last year. So we should probably re-read it.”

Jamie sat there for a few moments, shock evident on her face.

“You haven’t read the book since last year? The exam’s in, like, four months.”

“Well, I guess it’s good we’re doing this project then.”

“Do you want to start reading now?”

Dani pulled her copy of _The Great Gatsby_ out of her bag, and opened it up to chapter one. She sighed and began reading, vaguely aware of the girl next to her doing the same. She got swept up in the story of extravagance and longing, and became barely aware of the world around her.

That is until Jamie took the book right out of her hands.

“Jamie, what are you doing?” She asked in what she hoped sounded like a pleasant sort of tone, as opposed to the annoyance she felt.

“Stealing your book.”

“And why, pray tell, are you doing that?”

“Because I’m bored and you’re not paying me any attention.”

That was something that Dani had noticed - that Jamie was constantly bored; restless.

“You’re insufferable.”

“It’s true, I am.”

“Give me my book.”

“I feel betrayed.” Jamie whined, bringing a hand to lay on her heart.

But she gave back the book, and Dani shifted her legs until they were lying in Jamie’s lap.

Jamie spent the rest of the session fiddling with Dani’s anklet, and reading her well-worn copy of _The Great Gatsby_.

The remaining hour passed and Dani remarked that it felt rather like a dream. A dream with crinkling pages, barely there glances, and floral perfume. It was a nice dream, she thought privately, and tucked the memory away for safe keeping. 

“Uh, well, bye, I guess.” Dani stammered.

“You guess?”

“Well, I mean, unless you want to maybe stay here? Finish the book?”

“As much as I’d love to, I’ve got History. And I’m pretty sure you have a lesson.”

“Oh, right, yeah, of course.” Dani flushed with embarrassment. 

“I’ll see you Friday.” 

With that, Jamie picked up her book and a pen, putting them in her bag, carefully lowered Dani’s legs to the floor and strode out of the library, leaving Dani staring after her.

And if she dreamed of gentle smiles on red lips and the sweet scent of female perfume that night, well nobody would know but her.

The next time Dani saw Jamie was on Friday, during their third and final English Lit lesson of the week. 

Jamie was already there when Dani arrived, and she was sitting in the seat next to the one Dani normally occupied. She was also reading a book again - a different one, Dani noted - and her brow was, what Dani assured herself she thought in an objective way only, _adorably_ furrowed. 

After breaking herself out of her almost trance like state, she made her way into the classroom and claimed her usual seat. 

“Hey, sweetcheeks. How are you today?”

“Really? _Sweetcheeks_? Is that the best you’ve got?”

“Nah, just thought it was fitting, what with these adorable things.” Jamie smirked, leaning over to stroke the arch of Dani’s cheek. Jamie’s gaze was electrifying. Dani had never felt more alive.

“I was promised endearing. So far all I’ve gotten is cliché.”

“That right, darling?” She questioned, cocking her head. And Dani thought ‘ _oh two can play at that game.’_

“Yeah, that’s right, _dear_.” 

Jamie’s grin had never been wider. 

Before she could reply, Miss Elliot ushered them all to quiet down as she began the lesson.

“Now, despite our previous return to first year content with your partnered projects, which I hope are coming along nicely.” She threw in a pointed glare at several of the students, “It’s vital that we now move on to study our final text for paper two: ‘ _A Doll’s House’_ by Henrik Ibsen…”

Dani leaned back in her chair as copies of the play were handed out and reading deadlines were discussed.

“What book were you reading?”

“Hmm?”

“When I came in, what book were you reading?”

“Oh, uh, a collection of Emily Dickinson’s poetry. S’good. I think you’d like it.”

She threw a smile the girl’s way before focusing on Miss Elliot, who was now going over the schedule for the remainder of the year.

“You know you look good in that jumper. Pink’s your colour.” Jamie whispered as Miss Elliot moved to set up an introductory video from youtube.

“Oh, uh, thank you. I’ve had it for, like, forever.”

Dani definitely wasn’t mentally running through all the pink clothes in her wardrobe, and thinking of when she could wear them in front of Jamie. She wasn’t. (Okay, she totally was but that was between her and the annoying lack of pink clothing she owned.)

“Yeah, I can tell. The fabric looks, like, ridiculously soft.” Jamie’s purple nails started scratching at the table again, and Dani figured it was probably some nervous tick of hers or something. 

“It is, oh my God! I feel like I’m practically falling asleep inside it.”

Jamie smiled softly, an unreadable expression on her face.

The video started, and someone turned off the classroom lights. Jamie shifted, getting comfortable in her seat, and folding her legs into a crossed position on her chair. Her right knee hovered about an inch away from Dani’s upper thigh. She inhaled a shaky breath as she could practically feel the touch. 

So Dani did what any self-respecting seventeen year old would do, and moved her leg - only slightly - until it connected with Jamie’s knee. She heard the release of an amused sounding huff of air, but didn’t dare glance that way. 

The video eventually ended, and with it came the return of the lights. Dani startled slightly. Jamie’s nails scratched at the desk. Neither moved their legs.

As Miss Elliot started off on one of her rambling lectures about context in nineteenth century Norway, Jamie leaned into Dani’s space, and whispered so close to her ear that she could actually feel hot breath on her skin.

“I’m bored.” It was practically a whine.

“You’re bored? But I thought you loved English - you’re like, _always_ reading.”

“Yeah…. But that doesn’t mean I’m interested in ‘ _economic booms_ ’ or ‘ _how the upper classes prospered_ ’. I repeat. This. Is. Boring.”

“Oh yeah? So what _do_ you find interesting?” Dani turned so that her words were said almost into Jamie’s skin. She got a waft of the floral perfume she was so fond of. Jamie’s eyelashes fluttered before she answered.

“Language. And the emotions. The emotions that authors convey in their writing. The emotions are what makes a piece timeless, so it doesn’t matter when it was written. Like, it could be written yesterday, or hundreds of years ago, but if the emotions are there, then the literature is infinite. That’s what interests me.”

“But it’s the context that makes it all mean more. It’s the context that makes the emotions all the more powerful. Do you think a book like _The Handmaid’s Tale_ would have the same impact if not for the centuries of oppression women have faced? Sure, we’d be able to sympathise with Offred, but it wouldn’t be the same, because you wouldn’t have the emotions of _real people_ behind it. Context adds another dimension to literature, and immortalises the grievances and sufferings of a generation into a single text, and allows those people’s stories to not be forgotten. The literature makes the time infinite.”

They had gotten so close that Dani could taste Jamie’s skin, or at least she could envision exactly what it _would_ taste like, if only she moved a little to the --

“Girls! I would prefer it if your eyes were on me when I’m teaching, not on each other.”

Whilst they both shifted slightly to face the front, the point of contact between their legs remained, and Jamie remained so close that Dani was swallowed up in her floral scent, and could, on occasion, feel golden hair brushing her shoulder. Her nerves felt _alive_.

For the remainder of the lesson, Dani was hyper-aware of every movement Jamie made. From the occasional twitch of her arm when she was seemingly bored, to the way her hair fluttered in the gentle breeze coming into the classroom from the single, solitary window at the back of the classroom. There was one particular moment, where Jamie put her hand up to answer a question, and when she lowered it, her fingers grazed delicately over the fabric of Dani’ jumper. Her arm had broken out into goosebumps, and Dani thanked her lucky stars that she wasn’t sleeveless, and Jamie couldn’t see the effects she had had upon her.

“Impressive work today, babycakes.”

“God, you’re actually, like, ridiculous.”

“Come on…” Jamie dragged out the syllables in that ridiculous accent of hers. “You like it. Admit it.”

Dani stayed completely silent, eyes locked with Jamie’s in defiance.

“Not even a little bit?”

Then, at the prolonged silence:

“You’re breaking my heart here, darling.” Jamie collapsed on top of her arms on the table, and peered up at Dani with what could only be described as ‘puppy dog eyes.’

“Well then you shouldn’t have been so careless with it in the first place, should you?”

Jamie smiled lazily, and something Dani couldn’t quite understand flashed through her eyes. Dani thought it looked like bitterness, or regret, but that didn’t make sense so she quickly discarded that idea.

“Guess not.”

Then the class was over, and Jamie had left with a hastily whispered, “Have a nice weekend!”

Dani headed into the hallway, where she bumped into Hannah.

“Oh, hey, Dan, what’s up?”

“That’s a stupid nickname, Hannah.”

“Aw, but it suits you so well!” Hannah threw an arm around Dani’s shoulders.

“Why am I friends with such an idiot?”

“I don’t know… But you know what they say. Only an idiot is friends with an idiot.”

Dani smiled and they chatted aimlessly for a few minutes.

“Hey, Hannah, do you know Jamie Gardener?”

“Who, the brunette that’s friends with Owen?”

“Yeah, that’s the one.”

“Uh, not really - I’ve spoken to her a few times, seems nice enough. Amazing style. Why?”

“Oh, no reason really. We’re partnered on an english project thing. Was just wondering.”

“You were just wondering.” Hannah said sceptically and narrowed her eyes.

“Yeah, I was.” Dani practically glared.

“Okay, well sue me, I was just getting some vibes from you.”

“Some vibes?”

“Yeah, _vibes_. The sort of vibe that says you want to get to know her more, perhaps?”

“God, why don’t you take english? Elliot would fucking love you.”

“I know, my talents are wasted in the sciences.”

Dani didn’t want to get to know Jamie any more, and she was certain of this fact. She didn’t want to know her favourite book, or what kind of music she listened to. She didn’t want to know all the things that got Jamie wound up enough that she resorted to scratching those purple nails on the nearest available surface. And she _certainly_ didn’t want to know all the things that would calm her down enough to make her stop.

Hannah was just reading too far into things, as usual, Dani reasoned. It was simply Hannah being Hannah. Nothing else to it. 

At least, this is what she tried to convince herself as she made her way home. This is also what she tried to convince herself all Friday evening, and then Saturday morning (well it was more afternoon by the time she woke up, but it still counted as morning if she’d only just gotten out of bed, right?)

It didn’t help that Jamie wouldn’t stop texting her. All Friday evening through to Saturday.

It also didn’t help that she didn’t stop texting back.

Dani checked her phone for what was probably the 50th time that minute, and her stomach filled with a fluttery feeling when she saw she had a new message.

_**Jamie (13:46)** _

**_no._ **

**_thats just not fair_ **

**_u know im right u just dont want to admit_ **

They were in a debate over who the better English teacher was: Elliot or Clark. Both had been unfortunate enough to have Clark as a teacher in first year, and yet for some reason Jamie was insisting it was Clark.

_Dani (13:47)_

_But it’s trueeeee_

_He defo looks like the type of person who’s done some dodgy things_

_**Jamie (13:47)** _

**_don’t be mean_ **

**_hes nice :(_ **

**__** _Dani (13:49)_

_Nice?_

_Nice?_

_NICE???_

_**Jamie (13:50)** _

**_yes nice._ **

**_thats what i said isnt it??_ **

**__** _Dani (13:52)_

_How tf is he nice?_

_Last year he gave me detention bc I had_

_And I quote “hair that’s just too shiny to be natural”_

_Tell me again he’s nice_

_**Jamie (13:54)** _

**_well i guess in a backhand kinda way it is_ **

**_and ur hair is unnaturally shiny_ **

**__** _Dani (13:54)_

_Ur just jealous_

_**Jamie (13:55)** _

**_yh ur right im so jealous_ **

**_i mean u got to spend a whole hour aloNE with mr clark_ **

**_whats there not to be jealous of???_ **

**__** _Dani (13:58)_

_God don’t remind me_

_**Jamie (13:59)** _

**_sorry :(((_ **

**__** _Dani (14:01)_

_Anyway I gtg_

_Homework awaits_

_**Jamie (14:01)** _

**_no_ **

**_noooooo_ **

**_Jamie (14:02)_ **

**_:((((((_ **

**_Jamie (14:04)_ **

**_ur breaking my heartttt_ **

**_Jamie (14:07)_ **

**_daaaaannnnnniiiiiiiiii_ **

**__** _Dani (14:08)_

_What?_

_**Jamie (14:08)** _

**_i miss u :(_ **

**__** _Dani (14:10)_

_Ur an idiot._

_**Jamie (14:11)** _

**_but u like it :)_ **

So Dani started her French homework, but, as expected, got bored almost immediately, and so grabbed her phone and replied to Jamie.

_**Jamie (14:23)** _

**_no go do ur hw_ **

**_i wont talk to u till ur done_ **

**_pinky promise i wont distract u anymore_ **

**__** _Dani (14:24)_

_Ur boring_

She didn’t get a response.

Dani did her homework. In record time. And that had absolutely nothing to do with the idea of being able to text Jamie again. 

Monday came around all too quickly, and with it came the sturdy repetition of timetabled lessons. The same dreary tasks were handed out, and Dani felt a wave of longing wash over her. A longing to escape. A longing to experience something that didn’t make her feel the same as she had every day for the past six years. Some may describe it as a longing for change, but Dani saw it as more a longing for something she’d never experienced. Something to fill up the emptiness she so often felt humming beneath her surface. Something to make her feel free; awed; happy.

Tuesday passed in a blur - it was hardly distinguishable from the days surrounding it, and Dani felt that urge for spontaneity again. Jamie sat next to her in English again, and Peter played another dumb prank at lunch. 

On Wednesday she had her second study session with Jamie. Over the weekend, Dani had finished reading the book, so this time they focused on what they wanted their presentation to be on. Dani was still so tired, so they didn’t say much, but she did notice Jamie glancing over at her more often than usual, with something different behind her expression. 

It was only after she had left that Dani figured out what it was: concern. 

Dani eventually regained her sense of self, and started being able to mean the smile she plastered on her face when one of her friends said something particularly funny, or the laugh that resulted from a ridiculous joke. She felt real again. She _was_ real again.

The project also moved on pretty swiftly from then on. There wasn’t really much to do, so most of their study sessions ended up in them just messing around. 

On one particular Wednesday, four weeks after the project was originally set, Dani and Jamie found themselves being kicked out of the library, due to “unruly behaviour.” And that is how they came to be wandering around the college, unsure of what to do.

“We could try to find an empty classroom?” Dani suggested.

“What, and actually have to do work? Yeah, no thanks, darling.”

“The sportshall? I know they have some sort of badminton club on today.”

The horrified look Jamie shot her was answer enough.

“Cafeteria?”

After a long - exaggeratedly long - sigh, Jamie nodded resoundly, and they made their way to sit at one of the wooden tables.

“I’m so fucking _bored_.” Jamie groaned a few silent minutes later.

“Fucking tell me about it.”

“Can we just, like, sleep?”

“Honestly at this point I’m down for it.”

They both collapsed onto crossed arms with matching sighs and lay still for a few minutes - Dani thought it could have been five or twenty, time seemed to pass in a mystifying way. Dani thought she could have stayed like that for infinity, if it wasn’t for the interruption that came in the form of one Owen.

“Hello, Jamie, Dani.”

“Fuck _off_ , Owen.” Jamie peered at him as she lifted her head.

Her speech was still slightly slurred from sleep, and her voice had taken on a husky sort of quality. Dani wanted to drown in that sound. She blamed that particular thought on her still sleep muddled brain.

Owen didn’t get a chance to answer, because, as the three of them were about to discover, where Owen goes, Hannah goes. And where Hannah goes, Rebecca and Peter go. And where Rebecca and Peter go, it seems, the whole population goes.

Jamie rolled her eyes heavenward. 

“Seems we have company, darling. Think you can bear to share me?”

Dani merely copied Jamie’s eyeroll, and leaned over to start a conversation with Peter.

She could feel Hannah’s eyes boring into the side of her head, and when she turned, raising her eyebrows in question, Hannah fixed her with one of her knowing looks. Dani scowled.

Their next session, Jamie was unusually chirper.

“What’s got into you? You’re, like, never usually this hyper.”

“Well, Dani, if you have to know, last night I actually got a decent amount of sleep. And I’ve had three cups of coffee this morning.”

“Jesus, that much caffeine will kill you.”

“Ah, well, something’s gotta kill me. Might as well be something I enjoyed.”

Dani didn’t know what to say to that.

“So. Any ideas for the next slide?”

“Something about whether it was fate or consequence of choice?”

“Sounds good.”

They settled into their usual working rhythm. Dani had been surprised at first how easy it was to work with the other girl, but they were surprisingly good together. Nothing felt like it was going too slowly, and they seemed to understand what the other was trying to get at, which allowed them to expand upon their ideas, and reach that level of ‘perception’ that Miss Elliot was always droning on about. 

It was a lively session, full of Jamie’s usual teasing, and Dani’s usual comebacks. It was nice. Almost familiar. And Dani felt at ease; content. Eventually, Jamie pulled out a packet of Crispy M&Ms, and offered some to Dani.

“Thanks, they’re my favourite.”

“No way! They’re my favourite too.”

“I like the peanut ones too, but these are definitely better.”

“I’m allergic to peanuts, so…”

“Oh my God, does that mean you can’t eat Reese’s Pieces?”

“Well, I mean _technically_ I can. The consequent allergic reaction, however… Not something I’m so much a fan of.”

“That sucks. Life without Reese’s Pieces isn’t a life I’m interested in.”

“Damn, it doesn’t take much for you, huh?”

“Nah. Honestly, if someone ever wanted to, say, torture me for information, all they’d have to do is feed me chocolate.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

“What, got plans to torture me, huh, Gardener?”

“Among other things.” Jamie smirked and Dani snorted. 

They parted ways soon after that, Jamie to go to History, and Dani to French. She couldn’t help but wish for more time in the library. For more time to discuss ideas over varying books. For more time hiding her blush behind her book. For more time trying to be quiet so as for the librarian not to kick them out again. For more time spent watching Jamie concentrate on the words she was reading. For more time to try to make Jamie laugh so hard she had to clutch her stomach. For more time breathing in Jamie’s floral perfume.

For more time with Jamie.

That night, whilst lying on her sofa, eating more ice cream, Dani revised upon her original thoughts, and amended it to conclude that maybe her and Jamie weren’t completely incompatible after all. 

**Author's Note:**

> If you're reading this, I hope you have a lovely day x


End file.
